A 2011 survey by StepStone Solutions revealed that 96% of recruiters considered social media and e-recruitment to be significant tools in terms of reaching out to a global audience, which in turn encouraged job seekers to embrace the same methods in order to establish themselves as viable candidates for work.

LinkUpFinding and applying for suitable roles of employment can be a time consuming practice,with numerous individual job sites and recruitment agencies accessible online. To help resolve this potential issue, LinkUp has created a job search app that details vacancies and opportunities across many different organizations and industries.

In addition to this, it has subsequently partnered with the Android feature “Hire a Droid” to share these vacancies with a wider target audience. By utilizing this app, job seekers can view nationwide employment opportunities in a single online space, and by streamlining their search they can invest more time and consideration into to each individual application.

CraigsterFor anyone who wishes to create a more tailored job search and target roles based primarily on their locality, the iPhone application Craigster is an extremely useful tool. As one of the more established mobile applications, Craigster allows users to search for opportunities in individual cities across the U.S., while also giving them access to the thousands of classified advertisements and listings available on Craigslist.

It also boasts a map feature that allows job seekers to view locations and evaluate which jobs are logistically viable for them to consider, so that every opportunity that they pursue is suitable to their circumstances.

Pocket ResumeWith any number of viable job opportunities identified, the next challenge is make a strong application. Now, while the resume may no longer be the only tool with which potential employers assess a candidate’s suitability for work, it is still an important document that provides a clear representation of an individual and their capabilities.

Pocket Resume for the iPhone allows users to create, manage and distribute their details from anywhere, and utilizes PDF rendering technology to make the editing process as easy as possible for those on the move. When those last minute resume changes and improvements are required, the app ensures that job seekers do not lose vital time during the application process.

DropboxIn terms of sharing documents and information with recruiters in a time sensitive manner, the evolution of cloud technology has also helped to revolutionize the contemporary job search. With free personal accounts available that offer up to 2GB of storage, Dropbox provides a resource where individuals can store their resumes, references and any other necessary documentation within a single online space. Given the increasingly competitive nature of the U.S. job market and its tentative growth in the last financial quarter, jobs seekers cannot afford to ignore any tool that allows them to make an instant application for employment from their smartphone or tablet.

LinkedIn

Networking is also a key practice in enabling job seekers to emerge from a bustling crowd, and to do this effectively it is important to understand the behavior of social recruiters and which resources they use. In a recent social recruiting activity report conducted by Bullhorn, it was revealed that professional media site LinkedIn was used exclusively by nearly 50% of all e-recruitment bodies, with an average network of 661 connections dwarfing the numbers recorded by Facebook and Twitter.

With this in mind, the free LinkedIn app for the iPhone is of significant importance to job seekers in 2012, and a tool that gives them access to a growing number of professional opportunities and contacts.

The Bottom LineWith these apps available either for free or at a minimal download cost, adapting a job search to suit contemporary recruitment techniques is now as affordable as it is productive. Not only this, but these apps have the potential to drastically reduce the amount of time that an individual spends out of work, by streamlining the application process and improving the way in which job seekers interact with recruiters and future employers.

I would also highly recommend Indeed.com’s app! Indeed.com searches every job posting board, like CareerBuilder or Monster, and centralizes them all into one search.You can make a few tailored searches and it will refresh every day and let you know when there are new postings- it’s great!